Ethiopia – March 2014
Friday, March 28th, 2014
- By Patrick
Zoma Birara is a rural girl who caught my eye by the road near the small town of Amba Giorgis between Gondar and Debark.
March 2014 took me on a whistle-stop northern Ethiopian excursion to Bahir Dar on the shore of Lake Tana, from there we travelled north to Gondar, then into the Simien Mountains and finally west to the medieval, rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.
The people, often strikingly and simply beautiful, dressed in their traditional cotton robes (gabis) stride or ride through a vast, ancient landscape filled with mythology and dramatic geography and geology.
The country oozes history out of every pore. It evokes the Old Testament at every turn, the Queen of Sheba is reputedly from here and the Orthodox Coptic religion has added layers of legend and tradition to this biblical heritage.
Everywhere people are friendly and hospitable – welcoming strangers. The atmosphere is fragrant with the perfumes of coffee, frankincense and the smell of ubiquitous eucalyptus trees.
See more images from the series here
A panorama of the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia